Over the next decade the EU must be ready to redefine itself: what its role is as a political entity in a rapidly changing world and how it should reform itself, both internally and externally, in order to overcome and respond to the multifaceted challenges of the global age we now live in. In short, the challenge of making the EU “fit for purpose”. Needless to say, this is where controversy begins: what exactly is the EU’s “purpose” in the 21st century and what kind of reforms are required to render it “fit”? In this volume, leading thinkers and experts provide compelling answers to issues of defence and security, global economic governance, neighbourhood policy, trade, energy and climate change.

The present ELIAMEP Thesis by Prof. Andreas Theophanous–the third published by ELIAMEP on the Cyprus issue in the last few months, argues that for many Greek-Cypriots the fundamental question “what model can lead to a viable solution?” has not been answered in a satisfactory manner. Despite several rounds of meetings, there is considerable distance between the two communities on several major issues: constitutional issues, governance, property issues, the three fundamental freedoms, security, settlers, territorial issue, economy. [More..]

Policy Network, in partnership with Friends of Europe, hosted a major international conference in Brussels on 4 November 2009 to launch and discuss the policy and political recommendations of the research programme, “An EU “fit for purpose” in the global age“. The event marked the launch of the substantial report “An EU ‘fit for purpose’ in the global age – Can we rise to the challenge?” authored by Loukas Tsoukalis, Olaf Cramme and Roger Liddle [More..]

ELIAMEP’s Working Paper no 4 by  Dr. Filippos Proedrou, Lecturer of Politics and International Relations in City College, Thessaloniki,

aims to examine the Greek policy of energy security. The analysis is divided in two parts: the practical and the normative. After analyzing the main problems of energy security at the European level, the paper presents the Greek “dual policy” of, on the one hand, promoting a strategic relationship with its main energy supplier, Russia [More..]

In the latest issue of ELIAMEP Thesis , Mr. Costas Carras, Greek Coordinator of the Greek Turkish Forum, provides seven reasons why the chances for a settlement of the Cyprus problem are higher over the next five months than at any time since 1974. It also however points to some of the most serious remaining difficulties which might easily prevent the successful negotiation of such a settlement. [More..]

The Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) organised a lecture delivered by the Secretary General for Public Order Ambassador Constantinos Bitsios. The lecture was held on Tuesday 22 September 2009 at ELIAMEP offices.

The question of irregural migration, has surfaced in recent months as a highly important political issue with strong economic and social implications for Greece. [More..]

In the era of the European Union and globalization, where -like Rubik’s cube- every movement has consequences for all sides, the nation-states of the European Union are called to review ways of defining their national interests and conducting their foreign policies. [More..]

Janis A. Emmanouilidis, Stavros Costopoulos Research Fellow at ELIAMEP, wrote a chapter for a book edited by Franco Algieri and Arnold Kammel, which analyses the prospects of differentiated integration in Europe. The contribution is based on an analysis of six different potential forms of differentiation within and outside the European Union’s framework. The text ends with a set of concrete recommendations regarding the future of a differentiated Europe. [More..]

Janis A. Emmanouilidis, Stavros Costopoulos Research Fellow at ELIAMEP, has published two articles on Germany and the EU and on Flexibility (co-authored with Claus Giering) in the new addition of Europa von A-Z: Taschenbuch der europäischen Integration edited by Werner Weidenfeld and Wolfgang Wessels.

This 11th edition of Europa von A-Z includes updated references to the Treaty of Lisbon and to the upcoming European elections. It addresses all those who seek quick, comprehensive and precise information about the European integration process. In more than 70 articles renowned authors explain key issues related to EU affairs in a comprehensible fashion. The edited volume provides background knowledge for readers who want to know more about the European Union and who wish to understand current trends in European politics.

Europa von A–Z is a project jointly conducted by the Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP) in Berlin, the Centrum für angewandte Politikforschung (CAP) at the University of Munich and the Jean Monnet Chair for political science at the University of Cologne.

Bibliography:

Janis A. Emmanouilidis, Deutschland in der EU, in Werner Weidenfeld and Wolfgang Wessels (eds.), Europa von A-Z: Taschenbuch der europäischen Integration, Baden-Baden, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, 11th edition, 2009, pp. 108-114; ISBN 978-3-8329-4478-0

Claus Giering and Janis A. Emmanouilidis, Flexibilisierung, in Werner Weidenfeld and Wolfgang Wessels (eds.), Europa von A-Z: Taschenbuch der europäischen Integration, Baden-Baden, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, 11th edition, 2009, pp. 242-246; ISBN 978-3-8329-4478-0

ELIAMEP organised a discussion with Mr. Davor Vidis, Director of Neighbouring Countries and South Eastern Europe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Croatia on “Croatia’s relations with its neighbouring countries”, on 14 May 2009. Croatia completes this year eighteen years of existence as a modern state, and is a candidate state for entering the EU while it currently serves as a non-permanent member of the Security Council. Emerging from the civil war of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s and the challenges thereafter, Croatia is following today a forward looking strategy of stability and reconciliation based on a three fold axis:
Creating a stable democracy based on a series of internal reforms, establishing good relations with the neighbouring countries by solving bilateral problems and identifying points of cooperation and finally assuming an active role in the region and in the world. [More..]